Type element for marking machines



June 29 1926.

F: A. PUTNAM TYPE ELEMENT FOR MARKING MACHINES s Huh 0 A E V n F a Y NP 3 W I 1. e M r rl v/. b

.0 r I 1 6 3 M.- 2 l 60 .1 bh d e 1 1 F H 3 3 Patented June 29, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,590,851 Parserori ice.

FRED A. PUTNAM, OF KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR T0 MARKEM MACHINE COMPANY, OF KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

TYPE ELEMENT FOR MARKING MACHINES.

Application filed July 23, 1925.

This invention relates to marking or printing machines and particularly to those machines which employ a type chase that is made with one or more slotted bars to hold the type. A type chase having this construction is illustrated in co-pending application Serial No. 698,869, filed March 13th, 1924, jointly by myself and Carl E. Putnam. In the type chase shown in said application Serial No. 698,869, each type element is made with a body portion of a size to be received in the type-receiving slot and with shoulders which rest on the top edge of the slotted type-supporting bar and which support the type in proper position.

In order that type of this character may always function properly and be properly lined up when insertedin the slot it is necessary that the supporting shoulders of the type which rest on the top edge of the bar should be of a character to withstand any wear to which the type may be subjected and to also withstand any distortion due to any pressure or strain to which the type is subjected in the printing operation.

Where each type element is a shouldered element it is necessary to make the type element of some relatively hardmaterial such for instance as brass. To make type out of such hard material is a rather expensive operation because the type characters have to be cut on the end of the type elements.

It is one purpose of my present invention to provide novel type members which may be used in a type chase such as described in the above-mentioned co-pending application and which can be manufactured for considerably less than the type members illustrated in said co-pending application.

In accordance with my present invention I use ordinary printers type, which, as is well known, are made of relatively soft metal and are relatively inexpensive to pur chase, and I provide for supporting the type by using type-supporting means which are associated either with each individual type or with groups of type. The supporting means which is associated with each type or group of type is provided with shoulders of relatively hard material ar ranged to rest-on the top edge of the type sup orting bars.

T e type-supporting means which I em ploy can be inexpensively made and when eac 1 type or group of type have such type Serial No. 45,539.

supporting means associated therewith a type element is provided having the printing portion thereof made of type metal and having the supporting shoulders which rest on the supporting bars madeof relatively hard material which is adapted to resist any wear or deformation resulting from the use of the type.

In order to give an understanding of my invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a type chase having my improved type members supported therein;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view. on the line 22, Fig. 1, the type element being shown'in elevation;

. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33, Fig. 1, showing the type chase as mounted in a printing head;

Fig. 4 is .a perspective view of an ordinary printers type;

Fig. 5 shows said type with holes drilled in it for the attachment of the supporting means;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the supporting means; 7

Fig. is a perspective view of one of the type members; r

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88, Fig. 7

The type chase herein illustrated and which is similar to that shown in co-pending application Serial No. 698,869, comprises a frame 1 having a plurality of slotted typesupporting bars 2, the type being inserted in the slot 3 thereof. Each type-supporting bar is shown as formed from two spaced, strips 4 of metal which are connected together at their. ends, the space between the strips forming the slot 3.

This type chase is designed to be used with type members which have a shank portion extending through the slot 3 and also shoulders to rest on top of the strips 4. In accordance with my present invention each' typememberis made up of one or more ordinary printers type such as indicated at 5 and which are made of type metal and are of uniform dimension throughout their length, andt 'pe-su ortin means which is provided wit short 'ers 0 material harder the strips at. Each individual type may have such as would be used for printing a'word may be grouped together and have the typesupporting means associated therewith. This type-supporting means which has the shoulders of relatively hard material compared with the material of the type, may be made in various ways without departing from the invention, the principal thing being that the type supporting means associated with each type unit, whetherthe unit is in tire torn; of an individual t jpe or in the form or a group of type; should have the shoulders of hard material to rest on top of the strips. V

One convenient form of type-supporting means is that herein shown which is in the form of plates 6 and when this embodiment of the invention. is used I will preferably employ" two plates '6 for each type unit; Each plate 6 has a main portion of a width equal to that of the type 5 and has a wider upper portion whichforms the shoulders 7 to rest on top of the strips 4. These plates 6 will preferably be made of some material harder than the type metal so that the shoulders 7 will be of I'rlaterial harder than the type metal.

The type units maybe made up providing' each individual type the supporting means or by taking a group of type such as shown in Fig. 7 and associating with said group the supporting ine'ahs. "Where the" supporting means is in the form or" two plates these two plates will prel erably be placed onopposite. sidesot the indiyidual type or assembled type and may be secured to the type in any appropriate wa One convenient way isto drill holes 8 in the type as shown, in Fig. 5, which will. be aligned with holes 9 formed inth'e supporting plates that t ie type will always be properly lined up when they are inserted. into, the slots 8. The type metal of which the ordinary printers type 5 is made is so soft that if it were cast with the shoulders said shoulders 'would not be strong enough to withstand that while being removed from the printing head and the type members may be loaded into it from the upper side by simply dropping the type members into the slots. The shoulders Tot the relatively hard supporting plates will ensure the accurate aligning up of the type. Where the printed impression is to corn tain words which are spaced considerably from each other, as would be the case on a label for a shoe box for instance, (Fig. 1 illustrating an arrangement of type which would print such a label), the/type members will be positioned longitudinally of the slotted bars by means of positioningmembers 11 which are clamped to the bars.- So far asthe present invention is concerned, however, these type blocks may be retained in positionin the bars in any suitable way.

In Fig. 3 thetype'chase 1 with the type member's thereinis shown as'secured' to the underside of a head 12, said chase having lips 13 which c'o-operate with other lips 14 formed on the head 12 to retain the chase in position One of the lips 14 is shown as carried on a swinging member 15 so as to provide for the removal of the type chase or itsinsertion into place.

The under face 1'6 of the head 12 engages the upper ends otth'e type members and holds them firmly in position against the I strips 4.

1 It will be understood, of course,'t11at, if desired, each type member 5 may be pro video with one or more supporting plates 6 but where the type is to be used for printing shoe labels that use a certain number of selected words indicative of the style, size and price of the shoe'I propose to assemble the type 5 to form these words and then to make a type block such as shown in Fi 7 for each word, Itwill also be understood have herein illustrated types'upporting means having hardened shoulders 7 in the form of plates 6 yet the invention is not necessarily limited to this particular construction and theshape or" the typesupporting means with the hardened shoulders maybe varied without departingfrom the invention.

1. A type member for use with a type "chase having a slotted type-holding bar, said printer's type type -n'iember compr-isi g adapted to'be reoeived'in the slot of the type-holding bar, "and type-supporting means associated with the type and haying portions to rest on top of the bar, said portions being er harder material th'an'the type. 2. A type member for use with a type chase having a slotted type-supporting bar,

said member comprising a plurality of printers type adapted to be received in the slot of the bar, two supporting pl-ates between which the type "are received, and

means for rigidly connec'ti'ngthe type and the plates to form a type block, said plates being of harder material than the type and having shoulders to rest on the top of the type-supporting bars.

3. A type member for use with a type chase having a slotted type-supporting bar, said member comprising printers type, two supporting plates between which the type is received and rivets uniting the type and plates, said plates being of material harder than the type and having shoulders to rest on the top of the type-supporting bar.

4. The combination with a type chase having slotted type-holding bars, of type members in said slots, each type member comprising printers type adapted to be received in the slot and supporting means secured to the type and provided with shoulders to rest on the top of the bar and position the type in the slot, said shoulders be? mg of material sufficiently harder than that of the type to withstand wear due to use.

5. The combination with a type chase having slotted type-holding bars, of type members received in said slots, each type member being composed of printers type and supporting plates secured thereto and provided with shoulders for engagement with the top of the type-supporting bar and by which the type member is positioned,

6. A type member comprising printers type and a supporting means secured to the type and provided with shoulders on which the type member may be supported in a type-chase, the shoulders of said supporting means being of harder material than the type.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FRED A. PUTNAM. 

